


A Welcoming

by LadyForestshade



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 05:16:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17636639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyForestshade/pseuds/LadyForestshade
Summary: She'll miss it if she doesn't hurry up!





	A Welcoming

**Author's Note:**

> Reposted from my Tumblr. I got to thinking what it would be like if Naoto and Rise were in a fantasy setting. Maybe one of these days I'll make a longer one, but for now this is just a short.

Rushed footsteps pushed against the cut stone path, so limited by the length of her dress as she struggled to hold it up—struggled to avoid tripping over herself and looking like a complete fool. The roads of the city seemed emptier than usual. Market stalls stood unmanned and blacksmith shops hardly bellowed a column of smoke. Everyone was gone, gone where she should be right now.

Rise fixated her eyes too hard on the sidelines and didn’t pay attention to the stretch of road in front of her, nor to the sound of thundering hooves clearing the small hill, “Whoa!” A man thundered, pulling back on the reigns harshly.

The copper-haired woman stumbled backwards but managed to remain on her feet. She threw her arms up with a startled gasp as two horses, fixed to a wagon, reared and threw their hooves wildly, “Watch where you’re going, woman!” The wagon driver shook his fist.

“Sorry! Just in a rush!” Rise grinned apologetically and took off once again. She left the disgruntled merchant far, far behind her, “Come on, I can’t miss this!”

The tight knit crowd of bodies ahead marked her destination. The bright hues of women’s spring dresses and men’s tunics and cloaks blended from each side of the main road they surrounded. From the bridge she saw meters to her left, to the far distances of the capitol’s main road, everyone wishing to welcome home the war party lined up. By their idling and the soft murmurs of conversation, it seemed she made it just in time, “Hey, hey, you made it!” Someone that noticed her quick approach teased. Rise ignored him and cut into the crowd, making way for her favorite spot.

Climbing a stack of crates against a half-wall, Rise sat herself on top, legs dangling as she clutched to the stone for balance. Her heart raced as she heard the loud wail of a trumpet. It started from the far side of town, quickly rippling one by one, closer and closer to the bridge.

People started cheering. Some outright screamed with horrific enthusiasm.

“They’re back, they’re back!” Rise heard children nearby chanting. And from her perch, she witnessed the knights and foot soldiers passing each trumpet bearer, atop their steeds in quick trots.

She didn’t need to search hard. Not at all.

Her eyes darted to the front of the line, in front of their benevolent king. They fixed to the smaller knight bearing their country’s flag high and proud with one arm, the other hand clenched around the tattered flag of the nation they had set off to fight weeks ago. It took a level of skill to ride with no hands, but the knight did it with ease and led the party to a halt in front of the bridge.

The knight—Rise’s knight—circled the king along with the other top officers and settled down to hand off the flag. The young woman ignored the brief, triumphant speech of their ruler. She ignored the jubilant screams as he threw the flag to the ground, declaring their victory. It all became drowned out by her fascination of the flag-bearing knight removing the protective steel helmet.

A smile stretched along Rise’s half-sun beaten, half-smitten red face, as her knight set the helmet down, revealing the handsome woman beneath. She wiped away the sweaty clumps of dark blue hair before settling a charming smile along the crowd. Rise felt the warmth of it from where she sat, wishing it was for her.

She placed a hand over her thundering heart and whispered, “She’s here...”


End file.
